The Elder Scrolls - Anthology Available

Bethesda let us know that The Elder Scrolls Anthology is available today in the US and in a few days in other areas.

Publisher: Bethesda Softworks

Developer: Bethesda Game Studios

Platform: PC

Price: $79.99 / &pound;49.99 / €59.99 / 89.99 AUD

Release Date: September 10, 2013 (US), September 13, 2013

Description:

For the first time in the history of the award-winning saga, experience The Elder Scrolls®as one extraordinary collection. The Elder Scrolls® Anthology features all five critically-acclaimed games, plus official add-ons in a premium collectible box set - beginning with The Elder Scrolls: Arenaand concluding with The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Legendary Edition. The Anthology also includes a set of five physical maps detailing Tamriel, Iliac Bay, Morrowind, Cyrodiil and Skyrim. Own this essential collection and experience the series that defined the open-world genre.

Key Features:

Arena

Assume the role of a lone prisoner and travel to Tamriel's most famous and dangerous sites to collect the shattered Staff of Chaos and save the Empire from the evil Imperial battlemage, Jagar Tharn. The Anthology features the original version of Arena and will launch within a DOS emulator.

Daggerfall

The ancient golem Numidium, a powerful weapon once used to unify Tamriel has once again been unearthed. In the power struggle that follows, the King of Daggerfall is murdered and his vengeful spirit haunts the kingdom. The Emperor Uriel Septim VII sends you on a heroic path to put the king's spirit to rest and ensure that the golem does not fall into the wrong hands. The Anthology features the original version of Daggerfall and will launch within a DOS emulator.

Morrowind

To fulfill an ancient prophecy, the Emperor sends you, an unknown Imperial courier, to the island of Vvardenfell to rid the land of Morrowind of a dark curse. Through a series of dangerous and magical quests, you are transformed into one of the Empire's most enduring heroes. Also includes: Tribunal and Bloodmoon add-ons, plusThe Elder Scrolls Construction Set.

Oblivion

With the Empire ready to crumble, the gates of Oblivion open and demons march upon the land. In the shadow of evil, a hero will rise from the ashes of a fallen Empire. You must find the true heir of the Septim line and restore him to the Imperial throne, while unraveling the sinister plot that threatens to destroy all of Tamriel. Also includes: Knights of the Nine andShivering Isles expansions.

Skyrim

Dragons, long lost to the passages of the Elder Scrolls, have returned to Tamriel. The future of Skyrim, even the Empire itself, hangs in the balance as they wait for the prophesized Dragonborn to come; a hero born with the power of The Voice, and the only one who can stand amongst the dragons. Also includes: Dawnguard, Hearthfire, and Dragonborn add-ons.

Note for collectors: the other DLC for Oblivion is not included (Mehrune's Razor, Horse Armour and the like).

EDIT: actually it is, but via Steam. From the Bethblog:

•Arena and Daggerfall include a pre-configured version of DosBox that gets installed during installation and allows you to play on modern machines.
•Morrowind GOTY and Oblivion GOTY are based on the retail versions of the game, which do not require Steam activation. For Oblivion, this means that the disc version of the game does not include the smaller add-ons (Horse Armor, Fighter’s Stronghold, Mehrunes’ Razor, etc)… more on that below.
•For Skyrim, the disc is based on the Legendary release of the game, which requires Steam activation.

As a bonus, the included Steam key will activate Steam versions of Morrowind GOTY and Oblivion GOTY Deluxe. Like the disc release of Oblivion, the deluxe versions include the main game, Knights of the Nine, and Shivering Isles, but it also adds English versions of the Wizard’s Tower, Fighter’s Stronghold, Orrery, Thives’ Den, The Vile Lair, Mehrunes’ Razor, and Horse Armor. These add-ons are not compatible with the disc version of the game, so you will need to use the Steam version to access them.

Originally Posted by coaster
Note for collectors: the other DLC for Oblivion is not included (Mehrune's Razor, Horse Armour and the like).

Not quite.

It should be noted that the PC version includes both non-steam retail versions of Morrowind GOTY and Oblivion GOTY as well as the steam versions. This is worth noting because the steam key for Oblivion GOTY Deluxe which is included encompasses Knights of the Nine, Shivering Isles, as well as Wizard’s Tower, Fighter’s Stronghold, Orrery, Thives’ Den, The Vile Lair, Mehrunes’ Razor, and Horse Armor.

As a bonus, the included Steam key will activate Steam versions of Morrowind GOTY and Oblivion GOTY Deluxe. Like the disc release of Oblivion, the deluxe versions include the main game, Knights of the Nine, and Shivering Isles, but it also adds English versions of the Wizard’s Tower, Fighter’s Stronghold, Orrery, Thives’ Den, The Vile Lair, Mehrunes’ Razor, and Horse Armor. These add-ons are not compatible with the disc version of the game, so you will need to use the Steam version to access them.

Oh and I suppose I should clarify that it is not an individual key for each game but one key which adds each game and all DLC to your library. You can still chose which game to install though.

— “ Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius – and a lot of courage – to move in the opposite direction.“ (E.F.Schumacher, Economist, Source)

Those DLC not being compatible with the retail version does not perhaps mean what you think it does - which is probably not unintended. A more accurate way of phrasing might have been that they're not officially supported and that dragging and dropping from one installation to another is not something they advocate.

Originally Posted by Caidh
I really hope they mean the 'patched' original version of Daggerfall when they say the following:

The Anthology features the original version of Daggerfall

Short of perhaps Ultima IX, I don't think I ever played a buggier game than Daggerfall.

Since the game is available legally for free, as are the patches, I don't see why you wouldn't get the patched version or at least have access to them in the anthology. I mean other than laziness in not including a prepatched version…

Originally Posted by jhwisner
Oh and I suppose I should clarify that it is not an individual key for each game but one key which adds each game and all DLC to your library. You can still chose which game to install though.

Clever, that way you get your games double and can't give away individual games you already have by sharing the particular steam key on twitter/facebook.

It's an 'issue' with the EA Origin humble bundle, the games people already have are often given away and in this particular case you sometimes get codes for Origin and Steam you give one of them them away through twitter.

'issue' because it's not an issue for me, but I bet it is for the business types. Having a key for the whole lot gives you no chance to cherry-pick and give away particular titles from the collection.

I wonder if Humble-bundle will use a single steam key for the bundles in the future?

Originally Posted by JuliusMagnus
Clever, that way you get your games double and can't give away individual games you already have by sharing the particular steam key on twitter/facebook.

It's an 'issue' with the EA Origin humble bundle, the games people already have are often given away and in this particular case you sometimes get codes for Origin and Steam you give one of them them away through twitter.

'issue' because it's not an issue for me, but I bet it is for the business types. Having a key for the whole lot gives you no chance to cherry-pick and give away particular titles from the collection.

I wonder if Humble-bundle will use a single steam key for the bundles in the future?

But you can give away all of the disc versions except for skyrim because they include the retail copies which don't use steam. I actually wonder if they might consider that a positive since two of those are free downloads as it is and giving away the morrowind or oblivion discs might just entice someone to drop cash on skyrim.

Originally Posted by stealth
Anyone know if Arena is 1.06 (as the patched floppy release that is a free download) or if it the CD version with speech and cinematics?

Good question - would be annoying of them to have given Arena its own disc in the collection and not bothered putting on the cd version with voice/etc. right?

Well, I also own doubles of other games simply because after a while a brick and mortar bought second copy, because the GOTY edition including all dlc is cheaper than buying the dlc/expansion on-line. In this category: Gothic 2 Gold Edition (only way to get Night of the Raven in English), Divinity: Dragon Knight Saga and Two Worlds 2.

Originally Posted by Caidh
Short of perhaps Ultima IX, I don't think I ever played a buggier game than Daggerfall.

Do you hint here that you didn't play Arena ? Before Daggerfall and its void there has been Arena and its own game stopping stuff ! Myself I failed short about finishing the game just before the final confrontation with the evil sorcerer Jagar Tharn. I always thought that was his latest desperate trick to avoid my wrath…

Originally Posted by rjshae
Kind of pricey for a release of mostly old games.

+1 and I'd add that it's lacking of goodies too ! Apparently there's only a bunch of paper maps to fancy ; no guides, no artbooks, no paper manuals and even no miniatures. Seems a bit poor to me and not very incentive to invest 60 euros as I already own all these games in multiple editions (basic, GotY and Collector).

Well, not sure if I agree. I think they dropped the ball on this. All they really added was a couple of paper maps. They didn't even care to include the CD release of Arena and they conveniently explained the absence of Battlespire and Red Guard as not being canon. I don't see many people who have already played and owned TES games as actually getting much value out of this box.